Llamrei
by BlackHorse08
Summary: Formerly 'A Knight is Only as Good as his Horse'. Part one of a trilogy about the important females in Arthur's life.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my very first upload so please don't be too harsh, I literally cobbled this together in half an hour as I just watched an episode of Merlin and the idea hit me. It was initially a oneshot but now forms the beginning to Part 1 of the soon to be developed 'Arthur's Women' trilogy. Anyway, read and review, constructive criticism welcome!**

**I don't own the character of Arthur, and any others mentioned who may be BBC property or belonging to Celtic Legend. **

**_Sections of text in italics indicate a flashback/ events occurring in the past._  
**

_**Part 1- Heartbreak at Midnight**_

_The mare groaned again, a painfully drawn out sound that tore into his heart- she wasn't going to make it. Forcing himself to bury his overflowing emotions he knelt beside her, slowly lowering himself so that their eyes were curiously locked, sharing one last silent conversation. At that moment, looking into those deep brown pools of liquid intelligence, he almost found himself at peace; but why did new life have to come at such a cost? Curled up just an arm's length away was a damp bundle, darkened by the membrane which had enveloped it like a blanket for so long, yet startlingly illuminated in the incandescent moonlight. Now the little creature had been thrust into a world full of harsh light and sharp beds which pricked at its sensitive skin. Until now the young prince had not been able to look upon the foal, he saw it as too great a price to pay; the mare was young, she did not deserve to leave the world so soon after giving birth for the first time._

_Suddenly the weight in his arms became too much to bear, yet he desperately hung onto that delicate copper head with its distinctive jagged blaze. Too soon, it wasn't time for her, not yet! Why would mother earth take her away like this, to leave the young one an orphan? Something that he knew only too well, for King Uther was more a dictator than a father to him, he couldn't even picture his mother's face in his mind's eye. The onlooking stable lad could almost feel the pain that radiated from his young ward, crouched far below him. Hesitantly he whispered, "Arthur. Please, do not take this to heart, there is nothing any of us can do..." Yet he somehow couldn't find the words to continue, the look on the boy's once again young face silenced him. To an onlooker the Prince seemed wise beyond his years, but here, at this moment, he was still a small boy with the weight of a Kingdom weighing down upon his young shoulders._

_None of it made sense, but this would be an important lesson in Arthur's life, the stable lad had said so and persuaded him to be here for this moment. Shamrock had been his favourite mare; her joy for life inexplicably matched his but somehow managed to give him a purpose and control: he had been looking forward to the birthing for almost a year and would be allowed to attend providing he progressed sufficiently in his riding skills. They had been astounded at just how much he had improved; leaps and bounds did not do him justice._

_Now, to him, it all seemed wasted. She was gone, the formerly irrepressible light that glowed in her eyes had been extinguished, and all that remained was the spindly-legged little foal. For the first time he really studied it, taking in the conformation and colouring with an experienced eye. It was hard to imagine how the filly, for that is what, on closer inspection, she turned out to be, would develop. All the prince knew was that this iron gray colt with distinct black points and mane and tail of midnight should become his most trusted companion: a knight was only as good as the horse beneath him, and as he looked into the foal's defiant eyes he made the decision. With a single tear running down his cheek, the thirteen year old Arthur announced, "Llamrei! She shall serve me well, more loyal and brave than any other; she shall willingly carry me to the ends of the Earth and back"_

**Thanks for reading, please bear with me, I'm writing and uploading as fast as my sporadic outbreaks of writer's block will allow D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second part of the story, set in the 'present' i.e. coinciding with the current series of 'Merlin'. Does not contain any spoilers for the series. No-one really owns these characters, and I reserve the right to play with them in my own little world. **

**Thanks to those who read/ reviewed chapter one, nice to have positive feedback on my first ever upload so here's a treat for you guys, I know it's a big jump forward but I'm going to flit back and forward I'm afraid, hopefully it will make sense in due course.**

**Done a bit of editing now, thanks to those who picked up on my typos, etc. I'm terrible at the best of times and tend to publish before I think in my desperation to share my moments of 'genius'!**

**_Panic_  
**

"Merlin!"

The young sorcerer couldn't help but jump at the sound of his name being called with such ferocity. He dropped the magic book as if it were hot coals in his hands and darted down the corridor in the direction of Arthur's call.

"Merlin! Make haste..." This time the Prince's call had an air of urgency to it; something unusual for he usually kept himself so composed, in fact, there were only two things that could bring such a tone to his voice, both of them were female.

As he sprinted down towards the imposing grey building ahead Merlin suddenly noticed a keg set in his path, with barely a twinkle in his sky blue eyes he disposed of the problem and had it back in place the moment he had passed while nobody was any the wiser. Someone as clumsy as he was would not often risk running anywhere but he somehow felt compelled. Bursting through the heavy stable doors he almost ran headlong into Arthur himself.

"So sor..." his apologies were cut short as the stronger man forcibly shoved him through a gap into a large loose box. For a moment he stood stunned, before he began to take in his surroundings. The emblem on the ajar door and empty manger strongly resembled Arthur's crest; intricate carvings depicting great horses decorated the polished wood walls; hung across the railings were several royal scarlet saddlecloths. Of course, he thought to himself, if it wasn't Morgana that was behind the worry that knitted the Prince's handsome brow then it could only be his beloved Llamrei. How he could care so much about a simple horse Merlin would never understand, but sometimes he just had to accept what Arthur believed- he was, after all, destined for greatness.

"Forgive me Arthur, sire, but I fail to see the problem", the wizard gestured idly about himself with his left hand. Afterward he almost kicked himself for his own stupidity. Arthur was fixing him with a gaze that would stop a raging bull in its tracks and send it running home for safety.

"Think. Merlin," he managed to articulate through gritted teeth, "Do you see anything...wrong here?" By now the Prince had adopted a defensive stance, leant across the doorway but still coiled like a spring- that he was tense was an understatement.

Taking a moment to think Merlin gazed around attentively, automatically scanning for anything that was out of place, anything that he had forgotten to clean of repair perhaps; but nothing caught his attention. Meanwhile Arthur had begun to flex his hands irritably, and his friend could almost see the muscle in his jaw twitching... this was very bad.

"I'm afraid I can't seem to find anything out of the ordinary." He accompanied this statement with a sheepish grin that reflected slightly in his sapphire eyes. Big mistake.

Arthur covered the distance between them in two mighty strides and an instant later had his servant pinned uncomfortably against the wall.

"What is wrong here, Merlin?" the prince's bottomless eyes stared right through him in desperate distraction, "I shall tell you what is _wrong._" He emphasised this last word by gripping his captive's wrist, skilfully twisting it into a most painful position.

His breath came in ragged rasps now as he fought an internal battle to contain his temper, but he managed to utter one more sentence before he lost it completely: "Where is my horse Merlin? Where in Mother Earth is Llamrei?" With that he was gone, like a whirlwind across the barn he disappeared once more, leaving his manservant utterly confused and somewhat horrified at what he had just heard.

**R/R, leave suggestions etc. Food for thought and all that. TTFN D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so here's chapter 3. It's another flashback I'm afraid, this is all going somewhere I promise, hope you good folks enjoy it.  
**

...

_**Defiance**_

_Arthur idly kicked a bucket as he traversed the cobbled courtyard, making his way reluctantly toward the Citadel; though he would welcome any distraction that came his way. Uther wished to speak to him in the Hall, thus he was surely in trouble, for after casting his sharp mind back he could not recollect anything he had done lately which was worthy of merit. A sigh escaped him as he dragged his leaden feet up the steps, taking care to set both feet on each step before he progressed. Usually he would leap up them two at a time but that unbridled energy had somehow escaped him in his dejection._

_"Art'ur, what are ye doin' lad?" A gruff voice greeted him as he approached the door, looking up into the kindly eyes of the tall guardsman he mumbled, "Father wants to see me... urgently." This last part trailed out like a hiss but excited no response from the burly man who merely crossed his arms and brow simultaneously, whilst stepping aside to let him through._

_"Bertram, when are you going to teach me how to use that curious axe of yours?" he desperately changed tactics in the hope of stalling time a little longer. It didn't work._

_"Now now sire, nun'of that now eh?" he coughed a little, remembering his manners, "You see to your business, then I'll acquaint you with my friend here," he said this as he lovingly ran a rough finger along the axe handle. Forcing a smile from his lips, previously pursed in frustration, the young Prince meandered his way to the Great Hall._

_Offering a curt nod by way of greeting to the King, who stood with an unabashed air or pride before him, he scanned the room, subconsciously seeking his reprieve by way of escape and ultimately found none. A heavy silence filled the vast room as neither ventured to speak, and it seemed, would not until the other began the inevitable conversation. Sometimes Arthur wished he had a mother figure just to take the edge off Uther's unquenchable temper, or perhaps a sibling with whom to share the burden._

_Abruptly Uther slammed his gloved fist against the table, his eyes flaming in his evident fury. For once Arthur was mystified but he endeavoured to sit gingerly at the place indicated- apparently he would be here for a long time. He dared not cast his gaze to meet the King's, he would immediately spot the look of defiance and make it punishable instantaneously. In all his thirteen years he had learnt many things, but one skill he valued most was the one that enabled him to read his father's mood from a mile off, and subsequently do what he could to avoid provoking him further._

_The silence settled over them once more, so heavy was it that the young prince could almost feel the room shrinking around, enclosing him like a trapped animal. However he had no reason to be so wary, for once his father's motives were less disciplinary, moreover he was trying to find words to express his apologies for what he was about to tell his impressionable young son._

_"Arthur," he assumed that this was a good a way as any to make his sentiments clear, "I have something very important to tell you, you will not be angry at me and I expect your complete compliance on the matter." Then it dawned on him: the young prince felt such a cold fear at this thought that he could not bear to speak. Of course, it was only a matter of time before Uther found out that he had kept the orphaned foal, nigh that he had named her and raised her to be a somewhat troublesome yearling: and all against direct orders not to. The sense of dread hung on his words as he interjected, "My lord I am sorry. I could not sentence and innocent creature to death. I was there, father, I was there when her mother died and I could empathise with that- for the first time I felt as though someone else understood me, she is my best friend and to take that away now would be unthinkable. You said every knight needed a great horse and I have mine, albeit one who is not rideable yet but I have chosen and nothing you say can dissuade me..." Emotions flooded his mind as he tried to form the words to defend Llamrei, but none would emerge and he resigned himself to the fact that he was fighting a losing battle._

_"Arthur," the King repeated once more, though now his tone had a harsh edge to it, "I did not bring you here to talk about bygone events, I wanted to let you know that your... my... my ward, Morgana, will be staying with us indefinitely. That was all. But now it seems you have given me reason to keep you here a little longer!" His voice had gradually dropped to little more than a whisper, a sign that he was furious beyond words, yet Arthur heard every last one as clear as ever. "I want that animal gone. How you have kept her, right under my nose, this long, is a mystery to me. It stops now- and if you have any sense in that foolish juvenile head of yours you will ensure that the beast is gone from the stables before I set foot in there myself, because, damnit boy, I will not be as merciful as you in her disposal. I trust that I have made myself clear?" He leant close to the boy who cowered before him, increasing his intimidating presence to the utmost. Nonetheless the Prince stood up forcefully, carrying himself with an insubordinate air, chin slightly thrust outward, chest puffed out, trying to maintain his composure as he swept out of the room. "Unequivocally," he snarled, as he cast his gaze back once more, taking note of the horror that momentarily marred his father's countenance._

_...  
_

**R/R if you fancy, and for those who are fans; don't worry, Merlin will feature soon.**


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